The Monmouth College women’s basketball team rallied from eight points down in the third quarter and won at Lawrence 52-48 in overtime on Saturday. The Fighting Scots (9-9, 5-4) have won two games in a row and are back over .500 in Midwest Conference play.
Both teams scored on their first possession with Ashley Jones (Abingdon, Illinois) scoring to tie the game 2-2. Tarae Warner (Burlington, Iowa) made two free throws for a 4-2 lead with 8:27 left in the quarter. Monmouth missed their next 12 field goal attempts and trailed 11-5 after the first quarter.
Jones hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 11-8 less than a minute into the second quarter. Lawrence went up 16-8 before Warner made two free throws and Lily Harlan (Washington, Illinois) made a field goal to make it 17-12. Warner scored the next four points for Monmouth to cut the lead to 18-16. Kiersten Cox (Illinois City, Illinois) made a free throw before Lawrence scored with seven seconds left for a 20-17 halftime lead.
Jones scored on the first possession of the half to cut the lead to one and after the Vikings scored, Ella Goodrich (Minonk, Illinois) split free throws. Lawrence scored again and Audrey Law (Bloomington, Indiana) made two free throws to cut the lead to 25-24. But the Vikings scored the next seven points before Warner ended the run with a layup at 32-26. Harlan made a free throw and Jones hit a jumper but Lawrence answered and led 37-31 after three quarters.
Warner scored the first basket of the fourth quarter before the Vikings pushed the lead back to six. Warner made a free throw and Jones scored on a layup with 5:21 left to make it 39-36. Jones scored again and Zoie Wall (Bartonville, Illinois) made a free throw to tie the game with 4:01 to play. Her second free throw gave the Scots their first lead of the game and neither team scored for the next 90 seconds. Lawrence made a 3-pointer for a 42-40 lead. Jones split free throws with 1:04 to play and the Scots forced a turnover. Warner scored with 35 seconds left for a 43-42 Monmouth lead and Lawrence turned it over again. Warner split free throws with 25 seconds left and Lawrence tied the game on a layup with eight seconds to play and the game went to overtime.
The hosts scored first in overtime and Law tied the game with a pair of free throws. Jones tied the game again at 48 with 2:04 left and neither team scored on their next possession. Wall scored in the lane for a 50-48 Monmouth lead with 25 seconds left. Wall fouled out, Lawrence missed both free throws but got the board and they were fouled again. They again missed both free throws and Warner secured the rebound, getting fouled in the process. She made both free throws with 13 seconds left for a 52-48 lead. The Vikings missed a 3-pointer and Warner grabbed the rebounds to seal the comeback win.
Warner led the Scots with 18 points and 15 rebounds while also recording three steals and two blocks. Jones had 16 points, Law had six and both Harlan and Wall had five before fouling out. Goodrich led the team with four assists.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: The teams split the two games last season, both winning at home. Monmouth beat the Vikings 75-72 in overtime at home on Jan. 2. The Scots are 27-2 against Lawrence since the start of the 2007-08 season. Warner has scored in double digits in six of the last seven games. She had a career-high 15 rebounds, a career-high two blocks and recorded her first double-double. Jones has scored in double digits four times, all in the last seven games and she has at least nine points in six of those seven games. Monmouth made a season-low one 3-pointer. The Scots were 17-of-26 (.731) at the free throw line, making eight more than the Vikings. Wall (7) and Harlan (6) both had their streaks of scoring in double digits end and both fouled out. The road trip continues Wednesday at Lake Forest with a 5:30 p.m. start.
***Courtesy of Nathan Baliva, Monmouth College***
